Harm Intended
by bionic4ever
Summary: FDNH4: Someone is trying to prevent Steve and Jaime from reaching their own happilyeverafter.  Will there be a wedding, and who will be getting married?  Thank you to Julie, the world's greatest sounding board and to the members of the Bionic Project.
1. Prologue

**Harm Intended**

Prologue

The woman in Steve's arms seemed a thousand times more beautiful than the sunset reflected on the water beside them. As he gazed into Jaime's eyes, he knew without any doubt that she was the only woman he could ever see himself with for the rest of his life. It was time.

"Jaime," he began in a soft voice, "I have loved you since I was eight years old, and with everything we've both been through, somehow we're still together. I'd like to make sure we stay that way." He kissed her gently, then in one fluid motion Steve hit the ground on one knee and removed the tiny box from his pocket. "Miss Jaime Lyn Sommers, would you do me the honor of becoming my bride?"

Jaime's eyes were glowing with tears of happiness. She'd suspected this was coming – he wasn't usually nervous when they were together – and yet seeing him on one bended knee, with so much love in his eyes, overwhelmed her. She was speechless, and her first response was to throw both arms around Steve's neck, pulling him close for a long, joyful kiss. "Of course I will," she finally whispered in his ear, "absolutely."

Their next kiss was full-on and passionate, lasting until the sun had completely disappeared and hundreds of twinkling stars were the only light still reflected on the water. Two souls that had been joined by fate so many years ago were finally going to make that union official, and it seemed that even the heavens were celebrating.

- - - - - -


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Steve and Jaime's engagement announcement was even larger than their first one had been, published in papers on both coasts. One person in particular stared at the newspaper as pain welled up inside them into a burning rage. This was a slap across the face – a stab in the heart! - and they certainly wouldn't get away with it!

There were so many arrangements to be made; the wedding was less than two months away! Plane tickets – one to Ojai and then two return tickets – a private cabin where important plans would not be interrupted, various supplies and (although the hope was it would not prove necessary) a gun. One thing was certain: this wedding would NOT take place!

- - - - - -

There were hundreds of tiny details involved in planning a wedding, even a small, quiet one, and – far from feeling overwhelmed – Jaime reveled in every bit of it. Steve, for whom cake was cake (as long as it was chocolate, thank you), was content to let her go to it, offering his opinions reluctantly and only if asked.

He was sitting in his favorite recliner, reading the paper and listening to Jaime as she bounced around the house, chattering happily. They'd decided together that, upon her release from the hospital, Jaime would stay with Steve at his ranch house, rather than go back to the carriage house. She was able to move around freely and without pain – her hips having totally healed from surgery that followed a gunshot wound – but they'd figured the less stairs she had to climb, the better. It had taken less than a month of this arrangement for the two to become engaged.

"Appetizer...lobster ravioli, escargot or stuffed mushrooms?" she chirped from the kitchen.

Steve made a face, well aware she couldn't see it. "Scratch the snails, Sweetheart; either of the other two are fine. Both, if you want." The doorbell rang, and Steve put down his paper. "I'll get it," he told her, but Jaime beat him to it.

"Already there," she called, checking the peephole. "It's the mailman."

Steve heard the door open, then close again, with no further comment from Jaime. Curious, he headed for the front door. "Jaime? Too many 'Congratulations' cards to fit in the mailbox?"

Jaime didn't answer. Steve found her in the front hallway, holding – not a mass of envelopes – just a single package, about the size of a shoebox. She looked at him in wide-eyed confusion and handed it to him silently. It was wrapped in red, glossy paper, addressed to Steve in a distinctly feminine script-style, and someone had taken the time to draw tiny hearts all over the wrapper. Each heart was filled with four tiny words:

_**I love you, Steve.**_

- - - - - -

"I don't like this at all," Oscar announced, staring at the still-unopened package now sitting on an OSI conference table. "Who sent it?"

"How the hell would I know?" Steve snapped. Feeling Jaime's gentle arm circle his waist, he took a deep breath. "Sorry – I'm just...angry. There's no return address, but if this is someone's idea of a joke, when I find them, I'll show them how unfunny -"

"Steve," Jaime interrupted softly, "maybe you should open it. It isn't ticking."

"I'd rather toss it off a cliff!"

"Maybe it's from a fan," Oscar theorized. "Someone with a thing for astronauts. You used to get a lot of those, remember?"

"Yeah, but those went to NASA," Steve reminded him. "This came to the house; this person knows where I – where **we** – live."

Jaime looked closely at the little hearts that covered the shiny package. "It doesn't look threatening. It's...kinda cute. Maybe the sender's name is inside."

Steve sighed heavily and reached for the box, removing the paper carefully and handing it to Oscar. It was a shoebox, and he ran a fingernail across the rim, cutting the tape that sealed it shut. When he took off the lid and looked inside, his face paled and his stomach lurched. Steve slammed the box onto the table and pulled Jaime away, not wanting her to look, but she would not be deterred.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped, taking a good long look before burying her face in Steve's chest. The only thing inside was a picture of a bride, with Jaime's head glued over that of the woman in the photo; the entire sheet of paper was covered by a large, blood-red X.

- - - - - -

By the time Oscar returned from personally delivering Steve's package to the crime lab, Jaime had gone from hiding her face in horror to angrily pacing the length of Oscar's office and back again without missing a beat. Steve, knew enough to stay out of the way and let her work it out of her system.

"Alright," she was muttering, more to herself than anyone else, "so this isn't an astronaut groupie, and 'I love you' isn't exactly a threat, although someone seems to want me out of the picture. I don't think it's revenge – not with hearts and shiny red paper – so it has to be someone who wants you. _Really _wants you." Jaime finally noticed Oscar had returned. "When we find her, Oscar, I get first dibs. I wanna take care of this...witch – personally!"

- - - - - -


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Oscar thinks it'll be better if he has a different team investigating this," Steve said on the drive home. "He wants us to stay clear of it."

"Steve, I was there, too," Jaime reminded him. "And I'm the one with better-than-perfect hearing..."

Steve smiled. "You're also the one who let every word Oscar said go right over her head and out the window – aren't you?" Sometimes, he knew her too well.

"Someone X's me outta the picture and wants to put the moves on you – and I'm supposed to sit back and take it? Wrong, Colonel! Whoever this bimbo is, she's messing with the wrong bride and groom, and I intend to -"

"Sweetheart," Steve said reasonably, "we don't know for certain how dangerous this might get."

"We have less than two months 'til the wedding, and I'm not gonna spend it ducking and hiding while Jack Hansen and his team of Keystone Cops bumble around playing detective!"

Steve opened his mouth to argue, then saw the way Jaime's eyes blazed with anger (thankfully, not at him) and her jaw was set with stubborn determination. He thought better of it – for now – and pulled silently into the driveway. His eyes were on Jaime as he opened her car door, and when she got out he drew her into his arms.

"I love you," he said softly, leaning in to kiss her. Jaime suddenly jerked away from him with revulsion all over her face.

"Oh, no!"

"Didn't think I kissed that badly..." Steve joked, and then his gaze followed hers to the front door. Tacked onto the screen was a huge envelope, made of the same shiny red paper that had covered the package. "Jaime – leave it there; don't touch it!"

Of course, she didn't listen. It had 'Steve' written in big, bold letters on the front but Jaime reasoned this concerned her, as well, and tore open the envelope. If her eyes had been blazing before, now they were shooting fireballs. She took one look at the large, lacy heart with its awful message and handed it to Steve. "I'll call Oscar," she said as she slammed into the house.

Steve stared in disbelief at the over-sized, handmade card. Dead center, among the hearts and flowers, were three words:

**Marry me instead.**

- - - - - -

"Thank you," Oscar sighed, hanging up the phone and joining Steve at the dining room table. Jaime seemed determined to wear a groove in the linoleum by storming back and forth. "No prints on the tape that sealed the package," Oscar told them. "Your would-be suitor thought ahead."

Jaime made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snarl, and Oscar glanced at Steve with raised eyebrows, as if to say _She's all yours, Pal. _

"Jaime..." Steve began quietly, standing up and extending his hand as she stormed past.

"She's here!" Jaime thought aloud, brushing past Steve and nearly pounding a hole in the kitchen counter when she reached it. She was past her boiling point as she turned to face two very concerned (and slightly cringing) men. "She isn't just sending you anonymous little boxes; she's here – in Ojai! And I'm gonna find her!"

"How much longer are you in L.A.?" Steve asked Oscar.

"I'd planned to fly back as soon as Hansen got here." Oscar looked at Jaime out of the corner of his eye. "But I think I might arrange to stick around a few more days. I'd like the two of you to take a little vacation, just until -"

"NO!" came the firm reply from the kitchen. "This obviously wasn't a one-time prank," Jaime said, quieting just a bit as she joined them.

"Exactly," Oscar agreed, "which is why I want you and Steve to be safely out of harm's way until we find this 'secret admirer'."

"Uh-uh," Jaime told him firmly. "If we disappear, the messages stop. We stay here, and eventually she'll overplay her hand, and then I've got her – I mean, we've got her. Besides, she hasn't made any overt threats – not really. She's just a confused idiot who needs her head screwed back on right, and I'm just the one to help her with that!"

"Jaime -" Steve made another attempt to hold her, but Jaime didn't want comfort.

"_Jaime_!" Oscar interjected in his sternest voice. Jaime stopped briefly, then shook her head.

"Steve, we've waited way too long for this wedding as it is; I'm not calling it off and I'm not postponing it. That's what she wants, and she's not gonna win!" With that, Jaime turned on her heels and practically threw herself onto the living room sofa, her arms folding stubbornly in front of her and just the slightest hint of a protruding lower lip.

Steve looked at Oscar, smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "Look out – here comes the bride...and she is **ticked**!"

Oscar took the heart (in its envelope) from the table and got up to go. "You two need to talk, and I need to get this to the lab. I'll call you later," he said, giving Steve a supportive 'good luck' pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Oscar." Steve saw him to the door and returned to the living room, sinking down onto the sofa next to Jaime and gently enveloping her in his arms. She was trembling slightly as she leaned into him, and Steve could literally feel her anger dissipate as silent tears began rolling down her face.

"It's gonna be ok," he whispered, holding her close. "We'll get through this, but no more of this Vigilante Jaime stuff, alright? We're a team, remember? Together, we can make it through anything."

- - - - - -


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

There were no leads; no fingerprints, no clues. When more than a month went by without further word from the secret admirer, even Jaime and Steve began to chalk it up to an overzealous fan who'd been spurred on by the engagement announcement. They remained vigilant – as always – but there was a wedding to prepare for, and it was coming up fast.

"You're going to look so beautiful!" the bridal shop owner exulted as Jaime tried on her dress for yet another fitting. Jaime smiled radiantly at her, then frowned. Something was wrong; something was definitely 'off'.

It hit her as she was removing the dress and the lace at the neckline scratched her skin. "Wait a minute," she puzzled. The shop owner froze.

"What's wrong, Sweetie? You don't like it?"

"No – I love the dress...but this isn't _my _dress; it's a look-alike."

"That's impossible."

Jaime shook her head, gathering the neckline fabric in her hands. "This lace – it scratched my neck the first time I put the dress on, and you had it lined with flesh-toned fabric the last time I was here. The fabric's gone; this isn't the same dress."

"Oh, my heavens – you're right! Claire! Come in here, please!"

The young assistant seamstress poked her head into the room, clearly frightened. "Y-yes?"

"Did you remove the lining from the neckline of this dress?"

"No, Ma'am," she answered truthfully.

"Then what happened to the dress with the lining?" Jaime asked in a gentle but firm voice.

"I...it...I don't know. I got a duplicate dress and used your measurements to re-tailor it, but I...I forgot to put the lining in. I – I'm sorry." The young girl was very close to tears.

The shop owner's eyes were wide. "What happened to her dress, Claire?"

"The first one?"

"Yes!"

Claire hung her head and blushed a deep shade of crimson. "I'm so sorry. I...it..." She cringed slightly, from embarrassment and fear. "It was stolen."

- - - - - -

Steve and Jaime were in Oscar's L.A. office first thing the next morning, and found Oscar and Jack Hansen had been at it for most of the night. "We checked out the shop owner – and the assistant," Oscar told them. "The owner was out of town, out of state, in fact, when the dress disappeared. The assistant was alone in the shop, and apparently in the middle of a fight with her boyfriend. She said there weren't any customers, so she followed him to his car where they argued for a few more minutes before she went back inside. At the end of the day, she noticed the empty garment bag but isn't positive that was when the dress was taken."

"No security cameras?" Steve grumbled. This time, he paced the floor while Jaime sat, frightened and silent, in a chair.

"None," Hansen confirmed. "I spoke with the boyfriend, and he independently told the same story. All three of them – the owner, assistant and boyfriend – willingly took lie detector tests. They all passed."

"It seems your admirer was waiting for an opportunity," Oscar theorized, "and pounced on it."

"This has to stop," Steve said emphatically, stopping to put one hand on each of Jaime's shoulders, trying to ease her tension.

"We've redoubled our efforts, added more men, more teams," Hansen told them. "Somebody must've seen something."

"The bridal shop have a back door?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Jaime said miserably. "It's not like I'm out a dress; I mean, I have an exact duplicate, but...why?" It was all she could do not to burst into tears. Steve wrapped both arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Sweetheart, why don't I take you home?" he suggested quietly. "You really don't need to be here for this."

Jaime shook her head. "Team – remember?"

Steve nodded, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Any theories?" he asked the two men.

Oscar's eyes grew dark, and he glanced at Jaime, as if asking Steve whether she could handle any more. Steve nodded again; he knew there was no way to force her to leave. Oscar sighed. "The second communication you received said 'Marry me instead'. Right now, we're operating under the assumption that someone else out there is also preparing to be your bride."

- - - - - -

The NSB van, parked 'inconspicuously' down the street from the house did nothing positive for Jaime's frame of mind. Steve helped her to get comfortable on the sofa, covering her with an afghan and starting a fire in the fireplace before heading to the kitchen to make her some tea. It was Indian Summer weather outside, but Jaime was shivering violently.

"Now they're back to the psycho-lunatic theory," Jaime said after several long gulps of the warm, sweet tea. "Maybe it's Callahan!"

"What?"

"She's always had a crush on you, ya know..."

"Sweetheart, Peggy is your best friend; she's your maid of honor!"

"She's also a woman, and she _has _had an eye on you!" Jaime drained her cup and then covered her face with her hands. "Steve, what am I doing? Have I lost my mind?" She took several deep, calming breaths and suddenly Steve could almost see the lightbulb flash on in her head. "I've got it! We have to call off the wedding!" Seeing the stricken look on his face, she elaborated. "Not the marriage; just the wedding. We'll elope! Then this psycho-witch – whoever she is – can't do a thing to stop us!"

"We can't let a theory – or even a real-life crazy person – dictate our lives," Steve told her firmly, "but you just gave me a hell of an idea...!"

- - - - - -


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Outrageous!" Oscar proclaimed when they filled him in on the plan. "Absolutely insane...and utterly brilliant – it just might work."

"Collaborative effort," Jaime said with a grin.

Oscar had to smile back. "I figured."

"We'll play right into her hands," Steve added "and smoke her out."

"Could be risky," Oscar warned.

Steve and Jaime stood arm-in-arm, shoulder to shoulder in front of Oscar's desk, looking not the least bit worried. "Against this united front," Jaime said, speaking for both of them, "she hasn't got a chance."

"Well, I'm glad you're both feeling optimistic," Oscar told them. "Now, what about the wedding?"

"The wedding goes on, exactly as planned," Jaime explained. "If that..._person_ dares to come anywhere near, I will rip her to shreds myself!"

"Sweetheart," Steve chuckled, picturing it in his mind, "you may want to leave that to our security team – who _won't _be wearing a wedding dress and veil!"

- - - - - -

That night, when Jaime curled up in Steve's arms, she was almost purring. They both felt totally calm and secure, and definitely didn't need the fireplace to keep them warm. Their plan was perfect, but they didn't consider that, very nearby, someone else had a perfect plan, too.

The phone rang the next morning before they were halfway through their first cup of coffee, but Jaime was instantly wide awake. Steve frowned with concern, hearing only one side of the conversation. "I'm sorry," Jaime said sharply, "could you repeat that, please?" She shook her head at the caller on the other end. "I gave you that order weeks ago – what do you mean you don't have it?" Jaime sighed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Alright, well, I guess I'll be down this morning to give it to you again. You'll still be able to have it ready in time? Ok, because our guests would really like to have cake at the reception. Right. Thank you for letting me now right away. I'll be there before noon."

Jaime hung up the phone and turned to Steve. "You're not gonna believe this."

He raised one eyebrow, hoping the news wasn't too terrible. "Try me; what happened with the cake?"

"There was a break-in at the bakery last night, and there was no money taken, no merchandise. Someone rifled through their order files, and they have papers everywhere, but they believe the only thing missing is the order for our cake! They're gonna put the order in right away, as soon as I can get over there; the manager will see to it personally, so that's not a problem. But...why the hell...?"

Steve reached out an arm and drew Jaime onto his lap, where she rested her forehead against his cheek as they both absorbed what this could possibly mean. Jaime got it first. "Duplicate dress...and now...Steve, she's trying to duplicate our entire wedding!"

- - - - - -

Steve insisted on going down to the bakery with Jaime. He may not have had a lot of interest in 'girly-wedding-stuff', but he had every intention of keeping her safe. After a quick stop at the florist – where they made sure the flower order was intact – they stopped at a deli. A few minutes after noon, they plunked the wax paper bag of sandwiches onto Oscar's desk as their informal greeting.

"Sandwiches...you're settling in for the afternoon?" Oscar guessed. "And you aren't smiling – you weren't able to pull off the first part of your plan?"

Steve took Jaime's hand and they smiled at each other as only a couple deeply in love could do. "Oh, the plan is in great shape," he said.

"We just almost had no wedding cake," Jaime added, still gazing at Steve. She turned to Oscar with serious eyes. "Loony-Tunes broke into the bakery last night and the only thing taken – believe it or not – was the order for our cake!"

Oscar opened the sandwich bag and peered inside. "We got you roast beef on marble rye," Jaime told him, "just like you like it."

Oscar nodded his thanks, already deep in thought. He pressed the buzzer for the intercom. "Peggy, get me Jack Hansen on the phone, please. And put a call in to Russ; tell him he'll be going to D.C. In my place. It looks like I may stay here until the wedding."

- - - - - -

The news from the team sent to the bakery wasn't encouraging. The manager, upon walking in and seeing papers everywhere, had immediately begun picking them up, allowing customers to help her and virtually negating any chance of finding usable fingerprints. She had managed to put all the files back in order quickly, and confirmed for Hansen's team that only the one, single file was missing.

"Someone must've been staking us out," she told the investigators. "They came in the back door and headed straight for my files, like they knew where to find them." She shivered and looked warily around the area. "You don't think they might still be watching...do you?"

- - - - - -


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Hansen was too late for sandwiches, but they did save him some coffee. "Miss Sommers," he began (completely missing the look that passed between Jaime and Steve), "who would have known where your dress was being made _and _which bakery was handling the cake?"

"My dress, I suppose just the bridesmaids – Lynda Wilson and Karen Stone – and Peggy Callahan, my maid of honor."

"Or anyone who happened to see you going into the bridal shop," Steve added.

"The bakery is easy, though," Jaime continued. "I've been going to the same one since I was a little kid; pretty much everyone who lives here does."

"So even your most remote acquaintance would know that?" Hansen concluded.

Jaime shrugged. "If they've ever lived in Ojai."

"That's helpful," the NSB man grumbled.

"Sorry."

"Peggy Callahan is waiting at her desk; I've informed her she isn't to leave until I speak with her," Hansen told them. "Then I'm headed down to the lab to question Miss Wilson. My agents are bringing Karen Stone over from the base school -"

"Great," Jaime groaned, "just scare the hell outta my whole bridal party while you're at it."

"They have to explore every angle, Sweetheart," Steve said gently.

"Even if all three of them are innocent," Hansen went on, "one of them just might have the clue we're looking for." He headed toward the door. "Oscar, I'll let you know."

"Thank you." Once Hansen had closed the door behind himself, Oscar turned to Jaime and Steve. "He's annoying, but he's thorough. He had a team on the way to your house to sweep it for bugs; I told him that wouldn't be necessary."

Steve smiled. "Got my own personal bug-sweeper, right here."

"At your service," Jaime added.

Oscar nodded. "You both seem to be in a much better state of mind today. You're taking this a lot better than most people would."

"Well," Jaime said, squeezing Steve's hand, "we're better equipped to handle things now. After all, we have a plan..."

Oscar nodded, breaking out in an uncontrollable grin. "Ah, yes – speaking of which, don't you two have more important things to...attend to...like a _honeymoon_?"

Jaime made a face and put her finger to her lips, and Steve chuckled softly. "Oscar, you know the wedding is in two weeks. Why would we be having the honeymoon now?"

"Hmm...why, indeed?" their boss (and friend) agreed. "Anyhow, why don't the two of you head home and just...be alone together for awhile, on your non-honeymoon. I'll call you if we find anything."

- - - - - -

As soon as they walked in the front door, Steve pulled Jaime close and gazed deeply into her eyes as they began a long, soul-filled kiss. "Oscar did tell us to be alone together..." Jaime whispered, already short of breath as their kisses grew hungrier and more insistent.

Steve scooped her up into his arms, still exploring every detail of her mouth with his own as he carried her down the hall to the bedroom. "And he is the boss," he agreed while they stretched out together on the bed. Love and passion ignited full force; they knew each other well enough to hit all the right spots. It was several hours before they were ready to think about dinner.

Steve chilled a bottle of wine and grilled steaks while Jaime tossed a salad and set the table with candles in the center. For a little while, at least, they were able to forget the turmoil that swirled around them and simply enjoy the feeling of being together and in love.

After dinner, Steve offered to wash the dishes while Jaime filled the bird feeders. She practically skipped out onto the back porch, humming to herself as she opened the plastic bin and found an envelope on top of the seeds. This one was plain white, with 'Jaime' in block letters across the front. Thinking it was a surprise from Steve (why else would he offer to do the dishes?), she eagerly tore it open. The birds were forgotten as she stared in horror at the single sheet of paper with its ugly black letters.

Jaime backed slowly into the house, leaned against the door and called out to Steve. The frightened tone of her voice brought Steve running to her side and wordlessly, she handed him the note.

_**If I can't have him, you sure won't. I'll kill him before I let that happen.**_

- - - - - -


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Oscar checked one more time with Hansen's men who were out in force across every acre of the ranch, then headed into the house to spend some time alone with Jaime and Steve. "When was the last time you opened that bin?" he asked a very weary but wide-awake Jaime.

"Right before we left the house this morning, to see if we needed more birdseed."

Oscar thought for a few moments. "That takes Peggy, Karen and Lynda firmly out of the picture; they're all accounted for. Peggy was at her desk early this morning, and she never left the office all day. She and Lynda were both still talking to Hansen when you called." He looked at the note again before asking his next question. "How many people know that you're already married?"

Steve held his new wife close, more concerned with her well-being than his own. "Just you and Rudy."

"And Judge Wilhelm," Jaime reminded them. "But I really doubt he's our stalker."

"I think we can safely remove His Honor from the suspect list," Oscar agreed.

Jaime sighed. "We don't _have _a suspect list."

Steve pulled her a little closer to him on the sofa and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "We're looking for a female – most likely single – who's lived in Ojai at some point in her life. Not a problem!"

"We don't know for sure that your admirer is female," Jaime pointed out.

"Jaime Lyn! How can you say that, after last night?"

Oscar cleared his throat. In their line of work, levity sometimes made the rest more bearable, but he needed their attention now. "I want you to call off the wedding, or at least postpone it."

"No!" Jaime protested. "We can't."

"Sorry, Oscar," Steve agreed, "not gonna happen."

"This is a lot more serious than a few love letters now," Oscar told them, in full 'boss' mode.

"Which is exactly why the wedding has to go on – as scheduled," Jaime insisted.

"But you're already married! You'll just have an even bigger party when all of this is over."

Jaime shook her head. "It won't _be _over if we cancel! This all started when Steve and I announced our engagement, and whatever's gonna happen, I'll lay odds it'll happen at the wedding. We'll be ready, and after LoonyTunes realizes she can't marry an already married man, we take her down. That's the only way this is gonna be over."

"You say you'll be ready," Oscar argued, "but ready for what? Yes, we believe she's planning a duplicate wedding, but what if that's only subterfuge? How ready would you be for a sniper on the roof of the chapel?"

"The security teams can do a full sweep," Steve said firmly. "And the guests are all either government themselves or from the base school, so they can be made aware of the situation beforehand. First, we nab a crazy person, then -" he kissed Jaime's cheek and smiled warmly at her, "my wife and I will have our wedding."

- - - - - -

A week went by without any further threats, and Hansen's teams left Steve and Jaime's front and back porches and returned to their carefully parked surveillance vehicles. Almost immediately, the Austins began getting hang-up calls on their phone; it didn't seem to matter who answered – there would be dead silence on the other end for a few seconds, and then a dial tone. It was almost as if the caller knew exactly how long they could stay on the line and still be untraceable.

Steve and Jaime stayed home and in the house, keeping each other occupied with any means they could find. By the fourth day of calls, though (with the wedding just days away), their nerves were worn to a frazzle. They'd both reverted to pacing the floor, waiting for the next call.

"This has to stop," Steve said firmly. "I'm gonna go talk to Hansen and his men; they're only half a block down, but I'll take my car. There has to be something else they can do."

Jaime nodded miserably. They'd both gotten very little sleep and in her exhaustion, she'd gone from frightened to angry...to numb. Steve kissed her, running a gentle hand along her cheek. "Why don't you try and rest? I won't be gone long."

Of course, once Steve had gone the phone rang within minutes. When Jaime answered to find silence on the other end – again – she simply snapped. Instead of keeping quiet herself, she gave the caller an earful.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you seem to want Steve – and if that's the case, you'll have to go through me to get him. Do you understand? _I won't let you have him!_ You can't win this; you're wasting your time." The caller didn't respond. Jaime was just tired and frustrated enough to keep going. "Why don't we end this – right now? You know you've got me to deal with, and I know you're in Ojai, so I will be at the park by the lake – on the swings – in ten minutes. Have enough guts to face me in person so we can end this, once and for all!"

Jaime slammed down the phone and scooped up her car keys. She thought about leaving a note for Steve but didn't want to put him in harm's way. Besides, she reasoned, she'd be back soon enough, with good news to share, for once. She backed carefully but quickly out of the garage and took a round-about route, going the opposite direction from the NSB van, and from Steve.

- - - - - -


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jaime's car seemed to be the only one around as she screeched to a stop just outside the park. Resolutely, she stepped out onto the grass, but she never made it to the swings. A firm but gentle arm snaked around her from behind, stopping her before she'd even walked through the gate. Her breath caught in her throat until she realized the identity of her 'captor'.

"Steve...you can't be here right now; I've almost got her!"

Steve turned his wife around to face him. "Get back in the car, Jaime."

"But -"

"Now. I've never given you an order before – I wouldn't dare try – but you're coming home with me, right now, if I have to physically force you. I am not kidding."

Jaime raised her eyebrows at his commanding tone of voice but thought better of trying to argue. "I'll drive," Steve told her, and she handed him the keys before sliding over to the passenger side.

- - - - - -

Oscar's fury was not so well contained. Steve almost felt sorry for Jaime as he headed into the kitchen, leaving her alone in the living room with Oscar and Hansen (at Oscar's request) while the two men read her a dozen versions of the riot act.

"Would you like to tell me what possessed you?" Oscar demanded. "No – don't. It doesn't even matter. What does matter is that you couldn't possibly have been more foolish today, Young Lady. Take note that I am refraining from using the word stupid, but you can take ownership of that one, too."

Hansen took over. "You were damn lucky you were on the phone long enough for us to run a trace, and even luckier that your fiance saw you driving away and decided to follow you! Do you realize what could have happened?"

"You...ran a trace?" Jaime asked meekly.

"To a phone booth just outside of Ojai; no one was there, of course, because the person in question was apparently coming after you!"

"Without a word to anyone," Oscar fumed, "you just took it upon yourself -"

"I'm sorry," Jaime whispered. "I thought I was -"

"No!" Hansen interjected. "You _weren't _thinking, and that's the problem."

Steve had heard enough. "She said she was sorry," he said softly, re-entering the living room and taking Jaime in his arms. "I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of Vigilante Jaime now, right, Sweetheart?"

Jaime nodded. "I promise; no more taking off on my own. I...I'm sorry."

"We'll stick together like glue until the wedding," Steve vowed, "so we can both walk down the aisle in one piece."

- - - - - -

Steve and Jaime both kept their word, remaining together and in the house until the wedding day arrived. They let others run their errands and take care of last-minute details, but there was one concession Jaime was unwilling to make.

"I will NOT ride to the chapel with a bodyguard in the limo," she insisted. "Security can check his ID until they're good and satisfied, but my dress and I are going to take that ride the way we're supposed to – on our own!"

Steve finally conceded. "If he has a limo company ID and his driver's license, I suppose it'll be ok. We can have Security follow in another car. You'll live with that, right?"

Jaime nodded, smiling. "Thank you."

The dress had been delivered in a voluminous garment bag, and Jaime threatened Steve with the possibility of his singing Soprano if he dared try to peek at it. When the limo puled into the driveway, she was waiting serenely at the window with the dress and a small suitcase of supplies. Steve stood in the doorway, refusing to let her go until he saw the driver pass both forms of ID to the NSB team, who turned toward the house and nodded their approval.

"You can't kiss me until the ceremony," Jaime told him, ducking past him before he could try, and practically skipping out the door. She turned for one more gaze into Steve's eyes. "I love you – see you at the altar!" The driver, possibly intimidated by the extra security, remained inside the limo as one of the NSB men opened the door and helped Jaime inside.

The limo pulled slowly into the street before the driver spoke. "You'd probably like a ride to the chapel, wouldn't you?" he said in a soft, pleasant voice.

Jaime frowned. She _knew _that voice, but just couldn't place it. Then the driver pulled down a side street, slowed down slightly and turned to glance at his passenger. In his hand, pointed directly at Jaime, was a shiny silver pistol. "I'm sorry," he said with a slightly off-center grin, "but this car'll be taking another route."

Jaime's face paled as she got a good look at him, and her heart sank to her feet as she suddenly knew exactly what was going on. "Roger..." she whispered in horror, "it's...you!"

"In the flesh," he replied, right before pulling the trigger.

- - - - - -


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jaime braced for the bullet's impact, but it didn't come. She saw, rather than felt, the dart hit her newly-bionic hip and went with it, trying to fake him out by feigning severe grogginess. "Why, Roger...?" she murmured, fluttering her eyelids as though they were very heavy.

Roger glanced in the rear view mirror, saw he was being followed and swore to himself as he stepped on the gas. "Hated to have to do that to you, Honey," he said in a deceivingly gentle voice. "You're too confused right now to know what you really want, and I can't have you running back to the wrong wedding, now, can I?" He laughed bitterly. "We talked about getting married once – do you remember?"

"Long...time...ago..." Jaime slurred. Her eyes were closed now, giving no indication that she was fully alert.

"You said you loved me, then – Boom! - you just up and left. I sure as hell loved you; I _still _love you! I could've died trying to get you out of that fire last year! And even after that, you thank me by running back to that Ken-Doll-on-steroids you thought you were gonna marry."

In spite of picking up his speed and taking several abrupt, sharp turns, he still hadn't lost the car that was almost right on his bumper. "Dammit!" He wrenched the steering wheel hard and managed to make a near-U-turn into an alley across the way. The limo skidded, taking out several garbage cans and a mailbox, but kept on going even faster than before.

"I knew you wouldn't come back to me on your own," Roger continued, glancing at his 'unconscious' prisoner. "The only way to get you was to make you believe Loverboy was in danger – and it almost worked, too! But then **he**just had to butt in where he didn't belong, and you know what? The only thing he accomplished was a nasty bump on the head for your real limo driver. Don't worry – I didn't kill him. Not yet, anyway..."

- - - - - -

Oscar and Steve were just about to leave for the chapel when Oscar's datacom crackled to life, on the NSB channel. The security team quickly told Hansen (already at the chapel) about the limo's unexpected detour and erratic actions. Oscar jumped onto the frequency as Steve put his fist through the coffee table.

"This is Goldman – we're going after the limo. What is your current location?" The team gave him the rapidly-changing address. "Alright; keep me updated until we can find you." He and Steve ran to the car and Oscar thanked Providence that he had one of the best drivers in the OSI pool. When they were still several blocks from the limo and the NSB team, they could already hear the screeching of two sets of tires and the squealing of brakes as the bigger car desperately tried to evade the smaller one.

"There they are!" Steve called to the driver, spotting the limo on a side street. "Get ahead and cut them off!" Two other cars full of NSB and OSI team members, also in close pursuit, had the same idea, and within minutes, one car pulled into the intersection from either side and the team behind the limo spun itself sideways, completely blocking every escape route.

Steve was the first one out of a car, and his eye focused on the driver through the limo's front windshield. "Oscar, it's Roger Grette!" He couldn't see Jaime, who was slumped over in the backseat, still faking unconsciousness.

The driver's door flew open and Roger jumped out, then opened the rear door and yanked Jaime from the limo. Steve was heartsick to see her limp body in Roger's arms as the madman shifted her in front of himself as a human shield. A fast zoom-in with his left eye told him Jaime was breathing and he began to breathe again himself.

"You don't deserve her, Austin!" Roger yelled, pulling a real gun from his pocket and pressing it to Jaime's head. "She was supposed to marry **me**, and if you want her to live, you'll get these cars outta here and let us through."

"Do you think you can force her to love you – at gunpoint?" Steve challenged.

"No, but once she's away from you, she'll come to her senses, then she'll be my bride!"

Steve played their ace-in-the-hole; it was time. "You can't marry her. She's already married, Roger – _to me_."

"What? You're lying!" Roger was thrown off his game for a split-second, and that was all it took. Jaime felt his grip loosen slightly and she drew back her right arm and elbowed him in the stomach. As he was going down, she grabbed his arm and forced the gun from his hand.

"I really feel sorry for you," Jaime said softly, as she moved into the comfort and warmth of Steve's arms. She finally reached down, removed the dart from her hip and tossed it to the ground, smashing it underfoot. While Roger gasped for air, Jaime turned and kissed her husband fully on the lips. "I believe we have a wedding to attend, Colonel."

- - - - - -


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Are you alright?" Steve asked, holding Jaime close. "Did he hurt you?"

Jaime shook her head. "I'm ok, but we're gonna be late for our own wedding."

Steve smiled, unable to resist kissing her once more. "There's over a hour left; besides, I have a feeling they'll wait for us." He started to lead Jaime back to the OSI car, but they nearly forgot one crucial item.

"My dress!" Jaime remembered. "It's in the limo." Together, still holding each other tight (not to rub it in Roger's face so much as to enjoy how it felt), they retrieved the dress, still safely in its bag.

"You know," Steve told Jaime when he spotted the little suitcase with its make-up, hot rollers and beauty supplies, "I'd rather see you leave that stuff behind." He cupped her face softly between his hands. "_This _is the woman I love – not the one behind all that gunk and paint."

"Steve..." She eyed the suitcase but left it on the seat.

"C'mon, Mrs. Austin," Steve said with a huge grin, "let's go get married."

- - - - - -

Every eye in the chapel shed a happy tear as Jaime walked slowly and radiantly down the aisle on Rudy's arm, carrying her bouquet of yellow roses. Their friends all knew how long Jaime and Steve had waited for this day, and how much they had been through to get here.

As Rudy gallantly placed Jaime's hand into Steve's, he clasped the two hands with his own for a moment and smiled. "I know you'll always take good care of each other," he told them softly.

"My friends," the minister began, unable to hold back a huge grin of his own. "I face an unusual dilemma here today. These two souls have been joined from the day they began life on this earth. Who am I to try and improve on what God and nature have already so perfectly wrought? Steve and Jaime have written their own words to share with you on their happiest of days, and I know they can express the unique quality of their love far better than I could." The minister, still smiling broadly, nodded at Steve.

Steve gazed deeply into Jaime's eyes, and the lump of emotion in his throat gave his voice just the slightest hint of a quiver as he began to speak. "Jaime, my life changed forever when I was only eight years old. That was when the tiniest five-year-old I'd ever seen, with freckles, blonde pigtails and overalls, dragged my to my own destiny, kicking and screaming all the way. I teased that little tiny bit of a girl mercilessly; I told you to go away – I pushed you away – but somehow you seemed to know even then that we were _supposed _to be together. You followed me, badgered me and pestered me until I finally saw that, too, and I have never forgotten it. You had possession of my heart before either one of us even knew what that meant, and never for one second has that flame that burns solely for you ever flickered or gone out."

Steve reached out to brush the tear from his bride's eye before going on. "Sweetheart, today I am promising you that I will never allow anything or anyone to threaten that flame or diminish my love for you. Come what may – richer, poorer, sickness, health or calamity – I will always love you exactly the way I do today, fully and with my whole heart." He smiled at his bride with every bit of his heart and blinked to force away his own tears.

Jaime smiled back, feeling their souls touch as their eyes held their gaze. "Steve," she began in a clear, amazingly calm voice, "if there's one thing I've learned in my life – and especially in the last few days – it's that together, we are an unbeatable team. There is nothing we can't face and overcome when we face life together. I don't know for sure what drew that little girl to that little boy who kept telling her to go away, but I know that every time life throws us a curve ball and pulls us apart, we've always found our way back to each other and landed on our feet. I firmly believe we were put on this earth to be two halves of the same whole, one soul in two bodies sharing everything that life gives us – the happiness and the pain."

"That's why today I am vowing to you that I will never forget that life has made us a solid team, and through richer, poorer, sickness and health, I will always belong where I am at this moment – by your side."

As they exchanged rings and the more traditional vows, Steve and Jaime's eyes remained glued only to each other. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, they both glowed with inner peace and deep, abiding love. They were now officially joined together, bodies, minds, hearts and souls, but for them this was nothing new; they'd been that way all of their lives.

END


End file.
